India's 1st LNG-powered train flagged off in Gujarat
What's the story
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has flagged off India's first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-powered train from Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Railway Station. The move is part of a broader effort by the Indian government to make rail transport more environmentally friendly and cost-effective. The new train technology is expected to reduce fuel costs and lower emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter.
Fuel efficiency
The government converted two 1,400hp driving power cars
The government has converted two 1,400hp Driving Power Cars at Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot into dual fuel systems. These systems now run on both diesel and LNG, with the latter replacing nearly 40% of diesel consumption.
Achievement
Shah emphasizes reducing diesel consumption
Shah emphasized the importance of this initiative, noting that Indian Railways consumed 293 crore liters of diesel in 2015-26.
This number has now dropped to 108 crore in 2024-25. The government aims to bring it down to zero by 2030, saving India's foreign exchange currency.
He also highlighted the rapid electrification of the railway network, with 99.6% already electrified.
Safety measures
Kavach automatic train protection system to be installed
As part of the latest infrastructure push, the Ahmedabad division will also get the indigenous Kavach automatic train protection system.
This will be installed across 404km of railway network at an estimated cost of around ₹411 crore.
The system is designed to enhance railway safety by preventing train collisions and protecting against overspeeding, thereby reducing human error-related accidents.